This is a casual, drop-in open house, with most people bringing a bite or a sip to share while they visited for a few minutes or a few hours. It was in the 20s this year, so most of us were layered in our warmest coats.

Because Southern Pines drops the New Year’s pinecone at 8pm, the party usually ends soon after. That’s one of the many reasons I love this town–we can all be home and in our yoga pants at a reasonable hour. (yes, I am lame; my kids tell me this on a daily basis)

This year, I helped Kathie with a few simple decorations, and I snapped a few photos with my phone just before the party kicked off; Mark’s office is such a neat space.

Yes, the appetizers are on an airplane-wing-turned table. Isn’t it amazing?

The decor was fresh magnolia, evergreen, and eucalyptus, paired with sparkly ornaments, and we used black and white for the paper products.

Do you like my disco ball light strands that I found at Target? They were $5 in the One Spot–not bad!

Mark set the bar up in the corner and served as bartender; he was guaranteed to see everyone that way. Yes, that’s another plane wing in the corner!

I have two galvanized tubs that I use all the time for iced drinks; Mark stacked them and used them for cold beer.

In his work space, more appetizers took over the desk.

In the back of the office area, crockpots were pressed into service to keep a variety of soups warm.

Since folks come and go throughout the party, it’s hard to get an idea of how many people came through, but I know they invited well over a hundred guests.

Simple, casual, and fun. A great time was had by all!

Our posts contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, we will earn a small commission, which helps to keep our content free. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise, since that would be tacky! Read our full disclosure policy here.